Swapo veterans should not feel left out – Angula

All for one… Participants at the Swapo Party workshop held in Oshana Region on Tuesday.

Okandjengedi

Swapo Party secretary for information and mobilisation Helmuth Angula has called for an inclusive Swapo where every member – young or old – has an equal opportunity to contribute to the growth of the party.

“The party needs all its members, old, young and middle-aged,” Angula noted, adding that some veterans worked hard when they were young to ensure that party structures are in place, especially during the liberation struggle. He said widespread perceptions that those who are no longer in positions of power have nothing to contribute are divisive and should be avoided.

Making reference to the war veterans, retired force members, senior servants and office bearers Angula said the party is for all its members, including the elderly, the young and those who are yet to be born.

“Such tendencies of those who are in power feeling that those who are no longer in power have nothing to contribute are divisive,” he said while addressing a workshop of Swapo regional executives, youth, elders and veterans in Oshana Region on Tuesday.

According to Angula, the one-day workshop was intended as a platform to disseminate information about the party and forms part of his mandate to map the way forward. The secretary for information and mobilisation said he is also in the region to politically mobilise members and non-members of the party.

“I want us to be open minded, to criticise ourselves, to be transparent and to suggest the way forward,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Oshana regional Swapo Party coordinator Erastus Kapolo said they are 5on task to take over the regional leadership in the next elections. At present, the region – which is a Swapo stronghold – has DTA local authority councillors at both Ondangwa and Oshakati Town Council.

“We’re now trying to make sure that in the next elections all seats in Oshana will belong to Swapo. There is no mercy,” Kapolo said, adding that the party is doing exceptionally well in mainstreaming women into party structures at regional level. He said there are at least four districts run by women, including Ongwediva, Okatyali, Ompundja and Okatana.
The Swapo Party is structured into 11 districts, 177 branches and 659 sections.